It's almost two decades ago now since John Gregory became Aston Villa manager.

Gregory contacted the Birmingham Mail to share this powerful memoir he wrote recalling his pride at getting the job, the rousing reception he received at Villa Park, THAT glorious victory over Liverpool and his excitement and regret at managing a certain Stanley Victor Collymore.

We split it into two parts.

Here's part one:

The Return

Wednesday 25th February 1998. On this day in 1998 I was as shocked and stunned as everybody else when I was introduced as the new manager of Aston Villa.

I had been first team coach to Brian Little at the Villa but in October 1996 I had left Brian and Allan Evans and a team riding high in the Premier League, in fourth place, to go and cut my teeth in management as the manager of League One club, Wycombe Wanderers.

Barely 16 months had past when Steve Stride, in his infinite wisdom, convinced Deadly Doug to go and ‘Get JG back’, not just as a member of the coaching staff.

No, this time to go back and sit him in the BIG CHAIR, as the manager of Aston Villa Football Club!

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Winning the €100m first prize Euro Millions Lottery, scoring a FA Cup Final winning goal, just pipping Usain Bolt on the line to win the Men’s 100m Olympic gold, beating Roger Federer in the fifth set in the men’s Wimbledon tennis final...

None of those life changing moments can even come close to the elation and pride that I was now experiencing having just been installed as the new manager at Villa Park.

The Villa squad that I was returning to was the same as the one that I had left on that cold October 96 morning.

Also a few just starting to emerge like Darren Byfield, Darius Vassell, Henders (Lee Hendrie) and a quiet unassuming guy by the name of Gareth Barry who was about to explode onto the club and International scene and would in time, go on to make 365 appearances for Aston Villa and gain 53 Full England caps.

Villa had a group of players that should not be, under any circumstances, be worried about the threat of relegation.

The First Day

I sat down on Thursday morning, my first day in the job.

I had to pick the team to play on Saturday. Liverpool at home. Why Liverpool? Why couldn’t it be someone slightly easier?

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It was then that I realised that there was actually one player that I didn’t know at all. He was the only player that had been added to the squad that I had left behind when I had vacated in October 96.

That player was Stanley Victor Collymore.

We trained that afternoon.

Stan scored with a header. One of the coaches came up and whispered in my ear “You’ve cracked it with Stan, that’s the first time he’s headed a ball for six months...”.

I smiled, but inwardly I knew that the coach had meant every single word.

Friday came. My second day.

We had lost five of our previous seven. We sat 15th in the Premier League. We were in a relegation dog-fight.

I picked my team. 3-4-3.

Three strikers. Joachim, Yorke and Stan. We’re going for it.

The Welcome

And on the third day came the resurrection.

My players left the dressing room and headed down the long flight of stairs to the pitch. A few minutes later I had to do the same.

The anticipation of stepping out into the sunny cauldron that was waiting for me in my first appearance as manager had my heart ticking a lot faster than normal.